Film Review: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

I originally was not all that interested in seeing The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I couldn’t recall reading the short story and I definitely haven’t seen the 1947 movie. I thought this new movie looked cheesy. After checking out a few more trailers / clips, I decided that it would be worth it to see the beautiful cinematography and filming locations.

The movie turned out to be so much more. Yes, it was gorgeous shooting on gorgeous locations. Well, one location – Iceland. Iceland also played the parts of Greenland and the Afghan Himalayans though. But more than that, we got to see an ordinary man go on an extraordinary adventure. Mitty finally musters the courage to stop daydreaming and start living, much like the fictional motto of Life magazine, where he worked:

To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.

The story can be seen as cheesy, but it can also be seen as inspirational. Most people have dreams that they let go of in favor of “real” life. But when did “real” life get defined as something so narrow? There are many non-traditional paths to take.

All in all, it was a very heartwarming film and it makes me want to go on another adventure. It also makes me want to visit Iceland. Go see it.

PS: I loved that Mitty worked for Life. I have always loved Life’s photos and even have several old Life photography books that I still enjoy looking through.